Orbitz Worldwide Gets New Agreements and Flexibility in Upcoming Battles

Dennis Schaal, Skift

- Feb 10, 2014 12:20 pm

Skift Take

Orbitz Worldwide gets new flexibility in who it can be friends with in the future in a series of new contracts that go into effect in 2015. And, Orbtiz Worldwide’s enhanced relationships with Amadeus and Sabre mean consumers may be able to access additional ancillary services such as premium seats.

Beginning in 2015, Orbitz Worldwide’s North America brands, including Orbitz, CheapTickets and Orbitz for Business, will receive global distribution services from Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport, whereas previously in North America this flight and hotel information came almost exclusively from Travelport.

For the past seven years, and until the new agreements kick in on January 1, 2015, Orbitz Worldwide is subject to exclusivity provisions in its Travelport agreements that limited the online travel company’s ability to use other distribution service providers or enter into direct distribution agreements with airlines.

The Orbitz and American Airlines tiff in 2011 revolved around the airline’s insistence that Orbitz access its flight information through a direct-connect instead of getting it through Travelport’s global distribution systems. The impasse was widely seen as American’s way of extracting some hurt on Orbitz Worldwide’s benefactor, Travelport.

Until it completed its debt refinancing on April 15, 2013, Orbitz Worldwide was a “controlled” company, with Travelport owning 53% of its common stock.

Travelport owned 45% of Orbitz Worldwide’s shares so although it is no longer a controlled company, Travelport is Orbitz Worlwide’s largest shareholder and still exercises great influence over its affairs.

Sources with knowledge of the new agreements indicate that Orbitz will still have to meet certain minimum thresholds in the airline segments its processes from Travelport, but Orbitz can pursue alternative distribution agreements once these minimums are met.

UPDATE

Travelport revealed that under the terms of the new agreement, it will pay Orbitz Worldwide “incremental benefits in 2014 and further fees in later years for each air, car and hotel segment Orbitz Worldwide books through the Travelport GDS or through Travelport’s universal application programming interface.”

Travelport says the increased fees it will pay to Orbitz Worldwide will negatively impact its 2014 cash flow, but have “no impact” on adjusted EBITDA.

Photo Credit: A current Orbitz Worldwide agreement with its largest shareholder, Travelport, bars Orbitz from entering into agreements with airlines such as American that would be disadvantageous to Travelport. Pictured in this Feb. 14, 2013 file photo, U.S. Airways and American Airlines planes are shown at gates at DFW International Airport in Grapevine, Texas. LM Otero / Associated Press